STATE-OF-THE-ART: LOAD RATING OF HIGHWAY BRIDGES
The scarcity of catastrophic failures, conservatism of current ratings and the inability to rationally counter efforts to increase load limits define an agenda for research on load ratings of bridges. Research effort should be directed at those aspects of the rating process that will provide load capacity estimates that can be rationally defended as being required for public safety and for preservation of the transportation system. Accomplishment of this agenda requires determination of the necessary reliability of bridges and the development of rating procedures that assure that this reliability is actually being attained. There are four components of a rating computation -- data collection (inspection), resistance calculation, determination of load effects, and the rating. Each of these components could benefit from innovative research. It should be recognized, however, that these components are not mutually independent. Refinements in analysis, for example, are of little benefit without corresponding improvements in load and resistance information.
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Supplemental Notes:
- This paper was published in CES Report 5518.2.
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Corporate Authors:
Computech Engineering Services
2855 Telegraph Avenue, Suite 410
Berkeley, CA United States 94705 -
Authors:
- Beal, D B
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Conference:
- Research Needs for Short- and Medium-Span Bridges
- Location: Washington, DC
- Date: 1986-11-17 to 1986-11-19
- Publication Date: 1987
Language
- English
Media Info
- Features: References;
- Pagination: p. 91-97
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Bearing capacity; Data collection; Estimates; Highway bridges; Inspection; Loads; Preservation; Ratings; Reliability; Research; Resistance (Mechanics); Safety
- Uncontrolled Terms: Load effects
- Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 00803561
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Dec 4 2001 12:00AM